Creamy Shrimp Casserole

"My grandmother's special recipe and a family favorite in our house. Shrimp, egg noodles, peas and a few mushrooms layered in creamy sauce. Although this recipe yields quite a bit, my family of 4 usually devours the whole dish in one sitting."

Directions

Fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the shrimp, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook the shrimp until opaque and bright pink, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Return the water to a full rolling boil over high heat, and stir in the noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender, about 8 minutes; drain in a colander set in the sink.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir the flour into the butter to make a paste. Remove the pan from the heat; slowly whisk in the milk and cream until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Return the sauce to the heat, lower heat to a simmer, and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

Place noodles into the prepared casserole dish, and top with peas, mushrooms, and cooked shrimp. Pour the sauce over the casserole, and sprinkle the crushed cracker crumbs evenly over the top. Dot the top of the casserole with about 6 thin slices of butter.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cracker topping is crisp and golden brown, about 1 hour.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Nov 08, 2010

I reduced the servings to 4 allowing for faster cooking time on the noodles and baking time. I used canned peas and fresh mushrooms. Also used Sea Salt instead of the Iodized type. I found this to be a tasty recipe and a definate keeper. Thanks!

Most Helpful Critical Review

Jan 03, 2011

It's a great recipe for a base but its quite bland. I added old bay to the water for the shrimp, and cooked the noodles in a separate pot. I sauteed two crushed cloves of garlic in the butter before adding the flour, and added black pepper and a dash of dehydrated onions (I have a picky eater that won't eat onions any other way). I also added parmesan to the crushed crackers too. Mega hit at my house.

I made some changes because I didn't have everything on hand. I used elbow macaroni instead of egg noodles, chicken broth instead of most of the milk, Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan instead of butter crackers. I am anxious to try it again using the real ingredients, although my sub's worked deliciously!

My family liked this recipe and when we had leftovers they tasted even better so I would consider making this the day before I wanted it and sticking it in the fridge. It did end up taking a lot more than 20 minutes of prep time though!
My changes were to thicken with cornstarch instead of flour, and like others, I added more and different vegetables. I did not have cream so I substituted. What I did to make it not so bland was to brown some minced garlic in the butter and I used dried chopped onion. Additionally, I didn't have any crackers on hand, but I did have some leftover cornbread from the previous morning, so I crumbled that and it worked out.
Next time I might consider browning fresh chopped onion with the garlic, possibly using a dash of chili powder, and I might throw in a can of beans to up the protein content. I will not skip the cream next time as I think the richness will increase the flavor. Definitely sticking with the cornbread topping and may throw a dash of Parmesan on top too.
Going into my "Fish on Friday" file permanently.

Very interesting combination. We liked it, though. I used milk rather than cream, just because I don't usually keep it around. We will probably make this again, and maybe up the spices. Thanks for sharing!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.